Google Business Reviews Count Dropping? February 2025 Issue Leaves Business Owners Confused

Published: February 11, 2025

Over the past few days, business owners have been noticing a bizarre issue with their Google Business Profile (GBP) reviews. Many have reported that their total review count is decreasing daily, causing concern over lost credibility and customer trust. However, upon closer inspection, most have found that their reviews are still present—but the total number displayed is incorrect.

This discrepancy suggests a technical glitch in how Google aggregates or displays review totals rather than an actual loss of feedback. Affected businesses span regions and industries, indicating a systemic issue rather than isolated cases.

What’s Happening?

Business owners managing their Google profiles have noticed sudden, unexplained drops in their total review numbers. For instance, a restaurant owner in Chicago saw their count fall from 485 to 460 overnight, while a dental clinic in Miami watched 15 reviews vanish from their tally. However, when checking manually, all reviews are still publicly visible, and no notifications about policy violations or removals were issued.

Possible Causes (Speculation)

Since Google hasn’t clarified the issue yet, here are some possible explanations:

1. A Display Bug in Google’s System – A glitch affecting how the total review count is calculated.
2. Google’s Review Algorithm Update – If Google is rolling out a new filter or moderation update, it could be causing temporary miscalculations.
3. Delayed Review Syncing – Google sometimes takes time to update review statistics, and this could be a temporary delay.

The Silence from Google: A Growing Frustration

Google’s lack of communication has amplified anxiety among business owners, who rely heavily on reviews for credibility and customer trust. Local SEO experts like Joy Hawkins of Sterling Sky have noted similar reports but emphasize that “this appears to be a display error, not a purge.”

Historically, Google resolves such glitches within days, but the uncertainty underscores the vulnerability of businesses dependent on third-party platforms.

FAQs from Affected Businesses

• “Will my review count recover automatically?”
  If this is a technical error, totals should revert once fixed. Keep monitoring.
• “Could this hurt my search ranking?”
  Unlikely. Since reviews aren’t deleted, your ranking signals remain intact.
• “Should I ask customers to repost reviews?”
  No—this could trigger spam filters. Wait for a resolution.

Stay Vigilant and Share Experiences
If you’re experiencing this issue, share details in forums like the Local Search Association or Reddit’s r/SEO community. Collective reporting pressures Google to act and helps identify the scope.

Conclusion
For now, patience is key. While the disappearing review counts are alarming, the underlying data seems intact. Businesses should focus on documenting the issue and avoiding knee-jerk reactions. We’ll update this article as more details emerge—and hopefully, Google breaks its silence soon.

Update :

Google identified and resolved a technical issue that had caused reviews and review counts to disappear; all vanished reviews and their counts were restored after a few days.